If your problem is co-channel interference, stacking won't help as the second antenna will also increase the gain of the interferring station. The only way it might help is if you horizontally stack them and space them such that there is phase cancellation.

An easier option is to position the antenna such that something blocks the unwanted broadcasts. Trees work well for this, but they take time to grow big enough. ;)

You need to read the "Welcome to New Members" thread that's listed first in the main OTA forum and follow the instructions for asking for help. You will get a lot of useful replies as a result.

Roger,

The idea was to increase F/B ratio significantly, and put CJOH into the deepest null, since its 171 degres from WVNY. (Same for the other co-channels)

The idea of using a shield to block CJOH wont work either, cause its signal is reflecting off the metal boathouse, which is located in the path from the antenna to WVNY !

After the conversion to digital, CJOH, even though weak, floods the tuner and overtakes WVNY every night, around sunset, and esp when tropo is present (which is almost all summer around there)


Thus maybe NARRROWING that beam even more might help a bit (otherwise I think I'm cooked ;))

I tried stagger stacking in the vertical, didnt help, but maybe stagger stacking horizonal is the way to go. Or using an enclosure around a VHF BOW-TIE style might work, but no idea how to model it..

This was discussed extensively in the Which VHF-HI antenna thread.

Thanks for your input.

The reception of 15.1 is acceptable in my location since few day ago. But it's easy to be effected by weather.

BarnacK it will be interesting to see how much CM7777 will improve your reception. I think with antenna fine tuning the only french channel you might get from Montreal is Télé-Québec 17.1.

I think to reduce the co-channel interference it is best to use highly directional UHF antenna. From the once mentioned by Balm, I think 91XG is the best bet. For best results it would be nice to have this antenna on a rotor.

Excellent thread on stacking and combining tv antennas is here: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=95148.
Reading this thread from page 1 will yield many interesting ideas.

I think many of our reception problems would be resolved with single high gain, highly directional antenna on a rotor. However the tradeoff is the room and mast required for the antenna, the time it takes for rotor to move the antenna to new position, and will the rotor move the antenna freely at -26C.

I believe that WVNY(22.1) increases its power. In my location, it gets 77-80%.
Try to rescan it, enjoy NBA in the weekend.

No increase in power for WVNY. You are experiencing a tropospheric ducting event. Enjoy it while it lasts. See http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html for details.

Hi ogorek,

I see you mentioned the 91XG ... although if it is a UHF-only antenna, do you know if there is any chance of picking up some of our local VHF-Hi channels given how close the west island is to the transmitters on mont-royal?

Just asking because my CS2 is technically a UHF only channel and it is capable of pulling in TVA and CTV at about 60-70% without the VHF kit.

Any other west islanders using a 91XG and want to chip in their $0.02?

interdit_450: I'm in St-Laurent and my neighbor has a 91XG with a pre-amp on a rotor at around 50ft. It is very directional and finicky, but for what its worth he is thinking of getting rid of it after being in use for around 25 years and will replace it with a CM 9228HD after he saw I was getting better results without using a rotor on a fix position and getting all the channels in strong. He still can't get V, but WVNY comes in more often than my CM 9228HD. So from where I am it is not worth the hassle.

Thank you EdT

I assume you mean CM4228HD and not the 9228?

http://www.channelmaster.com/HD_television_antenna_Channel_Master_CM_4228HD_HDTV_Antenna_ s/43.htm

^^^ yes, I meant the CM4228HD, getting a bit rusty after not visiting these forums for awhile ...LoL

The Mont-Royal transmitters are down this morning and ABC 22.1 coming in strong and clear, anyway to attenuates the local signals so those weak US signal can lock on indefinitely ?

EDT



ABC has been coming in strong here for awhile now, probably due to fav atmospheric, so its probably nothing to do with MtRoyal transmitters

Ive been getting it with a 1 db gain antenna, off & on for last few weeks (but mostly OFF),


Closed transmitters, however, probably should also help CBS, NBC, depending whats going down etc...you should check their signal strength...


if you want to knock down adjacent channels, #12, #15, #21, you will need multiple VERY expensif TinLee sharp notch filters, and as he told me last year, they probably WONT work, they also knock down the desired channel, you put them before the amp

If they were effective all the enthusiasts around here would be using them, & so far I havent found a single one !

Mont-Royal transmitter down again this Tuesday morning and 22.1 is coming in. If it is indeed topo conditions then why can't I get a lock on 22.1 when the Mont-Royal transmitter is transmitting ? Anyways it is not a major concern since most of ABC's programming is identical with Fox and CityTV, just bugs me that 22.1 is so close yet so far in obtaining a stable lock, all they have to do is raise their transmitting power by a few more kWs.

Or go back to UHF, where they belong. It is funny that with the digital switch they allowed for VHF high. UHF only would be so much easier and "monster" VHF antennas would be thing of the past. WVNY had UHF transmitter. Why change it to VHF? Many Canadian advertisers are using local US channels for ads. Why WVNY chose to limit it's coverage is beyond me.

I noticed that in the past few days that 29.1, 33.1, 57.1 and 62.1 is pixelating, anyone experiencing this ? At first I thought it was bad weather near Mount-Mansfield, but a stable lock on 3.1 and 5.1 rules this out and 62.1 is on Mont-Royal.

I live near Cornwall.

Last September, I posted in this thread that I am not able to get anything except 9.1 (CBOFT - French CBC) and 8 (CJOH, CTV from Lancaster).

9 months later, the situation hasn't improved. Is this kind of reception normal for where I am? I have a big old Delhi UHF / VHF antenna on top of a 30 ft tower beside my house with a channel master pre-amp.

Here is my TVFool: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d13496aa4f8ef70

Also, does anyone know of anybody who does antenna service in the Cornwall area?

You should be getting much better reception than that in your area if you have a good antenna.

If the setup is old, you should:

replace the balun
replace the RG6 coax

Try removing the pre-amp at the top of the antenna and the electrical part at the bottom and see if reception improves.

If it does, buy a new pre-amp - A Channel Master 7777.

Your location is definitely good enough to justify replacing the whole set-up. You're lucky to have that tower. I would get it back in use.

I suggest keeping the tower and getting:
- a new rotator (channel master 9521, or Antennacraft TDP2) if you don't have one or if your existing one is broken and you can't fix it.
- a new pre-amp Channel Master 7777
- a new antenna (Winegard 7697 or 7698), or a two-antenna solution: Antennas Direct DB4e (for UHF) and a Winegard YA1713 (for VHF-high)
- quality RG6 coax cable
- quality compression connectors (snap 'n seal)

It's not worth dying for. Make sure the tower is secure. Have climbing gear. Or hire someone.

But it you spend a couple of hundred dollars you could have years of trouble-free free HDTV in Long Sault. And Super Bowl parties at your house with the American ads.

You have the potential to receive a long list of Canadian channels and also Fox, CBS, PBS, NBC, ABC amongst others from the USA, but you will need a working pre-amp and rotator to get them all. Other than PBS, each and ever US channel will require pinpoint perfect aim to have a chance of getting them reliably. You need the rotator. It will be worth it.

Good luck.

PS: My recommended two antenna setup would probably work best.

Thanks for the response, HWP.

The other thing I am thinking about is adding 20 ft to my tower:

30 ft TVFool: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d134949081834f7
50ft TVFool: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d1349afc3b71d86

Is it generally tough or expensive to add a section or two?

If your tower is attached to your house you should only add two sections above where the tower is attached.

With your 30-ft tower you could add another ten feet with a long mast, then a rotator with a short mast above that.

Before adding height, just try a good antenna with a pre-amp and rotator.

I live near you about 30miles tower to tower and I get lots of channels a total of 49 but only 43 are 24/7.

I love my setup. OTA rocks